Switching mechanism



w. A. DALY ET AL swncu'me MECHANISM Oct. 9,

Y Filed Feb. 27, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet I S l n (a MA L 351 W 6mm; 5' ml 26 Oct. 9, 1928;

'w. A. DALY ET AL SWITCHING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 27, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I W L 'nm I EE M GHQ me I vwnwazatm' Patented a. 9, 1928.

units!) TES PATENT ()fiFiCE.

mam A. m, or rename, NEW YORK, manne u n a. membrane em-use, new JERSEY, xssrenoas to Mrs ELEVATOR commas, or messy CITY, new

'masnxh ooaro'aarron or NEW JERSEY.

SWITCHING Application February The present inventionrelates to electric switches, particularly switches of the multipole, double throw type; I

c In dual control elevator systems, it is necessary to transfer the controlcircuits from carcswitch to push button control. In elevator installations for a large number of floors, a'correspondingly large number of cirthe description proceeds.

tion, referencemay now be had to the accompanying drawings wherein the invention is embodied in concrete form, and in which Figure lis a longitudinal elevatiOm'with parts broken away, of the switch and its operating mechanism; 6 I

Figure2 is a fragmental end elevation of For a better understanding oftlie inventhe same Figure 3 is a view in vertical section taken.

along line 33 of Figure 1; p

t Figure 4 1s a View in Vertical SCCiDlOl'l substantially along line 44 of Figure 1t Figure 5 is aview similar to Figure 2 with the switch in an operated position;

Figure 6 1s, a'view similar to Figure 4 with the switch int-he operated position illustrated in Figurefi; I .l J

Figure 7 is an enlarged detail inlongitudinal section of the clutch for the switch operating motor;

Figure 8 is an enlarged detail in section taken along line 88 of Figure 4:

FigureQis an enlarged detail illustrating the arrangement for mounting the contact blades;and 1 i Figure 10 isa view in vertical sectiomsimilar to Figure 4, showing the switch arranged tov control a larger number of circuits. g The switch is mounted in a casing-2t), a casing cover 21 being provided to completely enclose the switch so a's'to render it'free from I dust. The cover. 21 is secured to the sides 1 the casing 20 by means of screws 22 extend- MECHANISM. I

2?, 1925. semi no. 12,054.

ing into'slots 23. 7 Each slot is open at one end so as to render the cover easily removable. Referring to Figure 4, and particularly to the left half thereon, within the casing and secured to the end thereof is an angle bracket 24. A corresponding bracket 24 (not shown) 1 is secured to the other end of the casing, the brackets being arranged with their supporting flanges ina plane at a angle to the casing base. A contact board 25, of suitable insulating material, extends longitudinally of the casing, being secured at its ends, as by screws, to the flanges of the brackets. A plurality of stationary contacts 26 are arranged in lateral rows on the board 25, as

shownin Figure 1, each row comprising three contacts. Each contact is provided with a stem 27 which extends through the control board, nuts 28 being provided for the attachment of a conductor andfor securing the con-' tact to the board. It will be observed that ample space is provided below the contact board for all the conductors. A bearing 30 is arranged in each end of the casing for receiving a journaled end of a rock shaft 31. A plurality of U shaped straps or brackets 32 are secured to the rock shaft, as by bolts, the shaft being square in cross-section between its journaled ends to facilitate the mounting. These brackets extend outwardly from the shaft toward the contact board 25, being perpendicular theretowith the switch in neutral position. An operating bar 33, of suitable insulating material, is secured between the sides of brackets 32, as by means of bolts.-

The operating bar is provided with a series of recesses 34, the recesses being equal 1n number to the number of rows of contacts and each recess being in lateral alignment with the contacts. n one row. A plunger member 35 is slidably mounted in eachrecess, an aperture 36being extended from the inner end of each recess through the bar for receiving. the plunger stem 37. As more clearly shown in Figure 9, each plunger is provided at its outer I,

end with .a slot 38 for receiving a contact blade 40, the blade being pivotally supported therein by means of a pin 41 extendingcrosswise ofjtlie slot, Each contact blade also at stationary contacts. A compression spring 43 is provided in each recess 34: on the plunger stem 3? for extending the contact blade into engagement with the stationary contacts. The end of each stem extending through the operating bar is provided with a pin at for limiting the outward movement of the plunger. iVith the switch in 0d position, each con tact blade rests on its center stationary contact. The length of each blade is made slightly less than the distance between its outer stationary contacts (see Figure 8), the contact surface is beveled at each end of each blade, and each center stationary contact is raised,

as by means of a washer 45, above the plane of the contact surfaces of the outer contacts, as to prevent the engagement of the contactblade and outer contacts with the switch in off position. The center stationary contacts are connected to feed circuits while the outer contacts are connected to the control circuits, i. e., the push button control circuits and car switch control circuits.

The above described arrangement may be duplicated in the casing as indicated in the right half of Figure 4C. The rock shaft 31 is common, the brackets 32 and angle brackets 2". being mounted so as to dispose the additional mechanism at right angles to that de scribed. In this manner the switch may adapted to control twice the number of circuits without increasing the overall length. In a similar manner the switch may be adapted to control four times the number of circuits, as indicated in Figure 10. In thi instance, however, the straps 46 are extendeu on each side of the rock shaft- 31 to support the opposite operating bars Referring particularly to Figure l. the mechanism for operating the switch will now be described. As viewed on the right, the journaled end of the rock shaft 31 extends outside of the casing and is provided with an operating arm 1 7. This arm is keyed to the shaft, being maintained in position by means of a washer l8 and pin l9 as illustrated. A bracket 50 is securec, by bolts, to the end of the casing 20 beneath the operating arm ii. A support 51 for parts of the operating mechanism is mounted on the bracket 50. Bearings and 53 are formed in the support 51 for an operating shaft 51-. An operating handle 55 is provided on the outer end 01 shaft 5 1 while a collar 56 is provided on the inner end, the handle and collar being secured to the shaft as by pins 57. A crank pin 58, formed on collar 50, e5; tends into a slot 60 formed in the end of operating arm -Jl7, as illustrated in Figure 3. A torque motor 61 is mounted on the portion or" support 51 extending above bearing 53. Clutch mechanism, designated as a wholeby the numeral 63, is mounted on one end of the torque motor shaft 62. This clutch mechanism, more clearly illustrated in Figure 7,

tion, cross comprises a driving sleeve 6st secured to the shaft 62 as by pin 65. The end of the sleeve adjacent the motor is provided with a positioning nut 66 held in place by means of a lock spring 67. A pinion 68 is rotatably mounted on this sleeve in abutting relation with the nut {30. A friction. disk 70 also is rotatably mounted on the sleeve, being arranged between a shoulder 71 on the sleeve and the pinion 68. The pinion is driven by means of the disk 70, the disk being formed with a key 72 extending into a slot 73 in the pinion. A second friction disk 74 is mounted on the sleeve to be operated thereby, the operating relation being obtained in any suit able manner such asbytattening the sides of the sleeve and arranging the aperture in the disk accordingly. The disk 7% is maintained in operative engagement with the disk 70 by neans ol 'compi 1011 spring 75 extending l between disk 74 and an adpisting nut (i) arranged on the sleeve. An additional locking spring 77 is provided for securing the nut 76 in its adjusted position. Referring again to Figure 1. the pinion 72 drives the shaft 5% through the compound gearing 78. A detachable cover 79 for the gearing is secured to the support 51 as by means of eye-bolts (not shown). Referring also to Figures 3 and 5, the collar 56 is provided with a lug 80 adapted to strike one of the buffers 81 when the switch is moved into a closed posit-ion. Each lnnl'er comprises a threaded cylinder 82 adjustably mounted in support 51 and secured in place by means of a lock nut 83. The inside of each cylinder is formed with a shoulder agaii t which the flange of a stop plunger 8-1 is y ieldingly maintained by means of a spring 85. A. s1 ring seat 86 is secured in the bottom of each cylinder as by means ot' a pin 8?.

The switch and its operating mechanism may be arranged on the elevator control panel. A reversing switch 90 is provided for controlling the torque motor from a remote point. Thus it the control panel is located in the elevator lent house, the switch 90 may be located at the first fioorlunding for convenient operation by the operator of the car he leaves the building at nightand returns in the morning. The switch 90 is preferably oi. the self-centering type, being illustrated as a knitle switch for convenience oi description. The circuit for the torque motor may be traced by way oi the positive line 91 through series field 92, blade 93 of switch 90 with'the switch closed in up posi connection 94, by way of line 95 the motor armature, cross connec- .tion-QG, blade 9? to negative line 98.

In operation by remote control, the reversing switch 90 is moved to one of its closed positions causing the operation of the torque motor. The torque motor operates through the clutch mechanism and compound gearing Cir lift! to effect rotation of operating shaft 54. The crank pin 58 moves the operating arm 47, for example to the left as shown in Figure 5, rocking the shaft 31 into a switch closed position. As this position is reached, the lug 80 strikes a stop plunger 84, the spring 85 taking the shock, damping the movement. As the lug engages the top of the buffer cylinder, friction disk 74 of the clutch mechanism slips, preventing further transmission of motion from the motorto'the switch. The reversing switch 90, upon being released, will be returned to central or off position dieenergizing ,the motor. The operatingarm 47 may be moved to a switch closed position in a similar manner by means of the handle 55, as will be obvious from previous description, the handle being illustrated in the off position of the switch in Figure 2. g I

During the movement of the rock shaft 31,

each contact blade 40 is slidably moved over the surface of its corresponding center statacts, a pivotal support for the'third tionary contact 26, the expansion of spring 43 causing the blade to rock about its pivot so as to maintain a positive engagement. As the pivot pin 41 passes beyond the side of the intermediate, contact 26, spring 43 causes further rocking of the contact blade forcing it down into engagement with an outer contact. Continued movement of the rock shaft causes the contact blade to slidably engage the outer contact 26 whilev maintaining a sliding engagement with the center contact,

insuring positive rubbing contact. Vith further movement of the switch prevented by the buffer device, the relation of the Contact blades and contactsis as illustrated in Figure 6. The arrangement ofthe center contact above its corresponding outer contacts serves the additional purpose of preventing the necessity of moving the contact'blade up. on its beveled surfaces against the force of the spring 43 and prevents the blade catching against the sides of, the outer contacts. Further, due to the fact that the contact blade must move up on thecenter contact before it can engage the other outer contact, the opening of one set of circuits is insuredbefoi'e the closing of the other set.

Although the switch has been described as particularly useful for transferring a plurality of control circuits, it is apparent that the switch has many other applications.

Further, it is apparent that many modifica I tions may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is v i 1. Aswitch comprising, ajstationary' contact, a second stationary contact, a third con-c tact movable either to engage the first con tact or to bridge the/first and second concontact, means for moving the third contact, said means comprising said pivotal support and an operating arm for slidably supporting the pivotal support, and resilient means for sl-ida'bly. moving the pivotal support to rock the third contact about its pivot causing the third contact, when moving into bridging position, to slidably engage the second contact while slid'ably maintaining its engageii'ient with the first contact.

2. A double throw switch comprising, a

stationary contact, a second stationary contact disposed on one side of the first contact, a third stationary contact disposed opposite the second contact on the other side ofthe first contact. a fourth contact movable to bridge the first and second contacts in one closed circuit position and the first and third contacts'in the other closed circuit position and to engage the first contact in open circuit position, a pivotal support for the fourth contact, means for rocking the fourth contact aboutits pivot to cause its sliding engagement with the second contact, when the fourth contact is moving into said one closed circuit position, and with the third contact,

when the fourth contact is moving into said other closed circuit position, while maintaining its engagement with the first contact, means for moving the fourth contact, said second named means comprising said pivotal support, and yielding means for determining the closed circuit positions of the fourth contact.

3. A double throw switch comprising, a stationary contact, a second stationary contact disposed on one side of the first contact, a third stationary contact disposed opposite the second contact on the other side of the first contact, the contact surfaces of the second and third contacts being in a plane below the contact surface of the first contact, a

fourth contact movable to bridge the firstand second contacts in one closed circuitposition and the first and third contacts in the other closed circuit position and to engage the first contact in open circuit position, a pivotal support for the fourth contact, means for rocking the fourth contact about its pivot to cause its sliding engagement with the second contact, when the fourth contact is moving into said one closed circuit position, and

with the thirdcontact, when the fourth contact is moving into said other closed circuit position, while maintaining its engagement with the first contact, and means for moving the fourth contact, said. second named means comprising said pivotal support.

4. A double throw switch comprising; an operating shaft; means for turning said shaft; a stationary contact having its contact surface facing said shaft; a second stationary contact disposed onone side of the first stationary contact in a plane at rightangles to the axis of said shaft through the first stationary contact; a third stationary contact disposed in saidplanc on the other side of said first stationary contact, the contact surfaces of the second and third stationary contacts being parallel to that of the first stationary contact; an arm mounted on said shaft and extending radially therefrom toward said stationary contacts, said arm having an aperture extending longitudinally thereof; a plunger slidably mounted in said aperture; a bridging contact pivotally mounted on said plunger to rock in said plane and having its contact surface facing the contact surfaces of said stationary contacts, the contact surface of said bridging contact being adapted to engage the contact surfaces of the first and second stationary contacts in one closed circuit position, to engage the contact surfaces of the f and third stationary contacts in the other closed circuit position, and to engage the contact surface of only the first stationary contact in off position; and resilient means acting through said plunger to main- 7 rock sai d bridg tain the contact surface of the bridging contact in engagement with the contact surface of the first stationary contact in off position, to ing contact about its pivot to cause sliding engagement of its contact surface with that of the second stationary contact, upon said shaft being turned in a direction to move said bridging contact into said one closed circuit position, and with that of the third stationary contact, upon said shaft being turned in a direction to move said brid 'ing contact into said other closed circuit position, while maintaining a sliding engagement between the contact surfaces of the bridging contact and first stationary contact.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification.

WILFRID A. DALY. EDWVARD L. DUNN. 

